Decorative slab



March 23,- 1943. g, Q sc 2,314,855

- DECORATIVE SLAB' Original Filed June 19, 1937 INVENTOR 6270:- 6330/0572 naw ATTORNEYS v Patented Mar. 23, 1943 I DECORATIVE SLAB Clyde 0. Schuetz, Mount Prospect, 111., asslgnor to Keasbey & Mattison Company, Ambler, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application June 19, 1937, Serial No. 149,048. Divided and this application March 27, 194i, Serial No. 385,475

1 Claim. ((11. 72-26) This invention relates to asbestos cement for panels, sheeting, wall board and the like and particularly to the decorative surfacing of such material, and is a division of original application 149,048, filed June 19, 1937, which issued as Patent Number 2,236,582 on April 1, 1941.-

The object of the invention is to provide asbestos cement material having a surface coloring adapted to simulate a wide variety of natural products such as wood, thatch, marble and the like.

Further objects of the invention particularly in the methods used to effect the surfaclngwill appear from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which,

Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive are sectional views illustrating a method of" forming the decorative surface.

' In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6 a sheet 20 of asbestos cement material is provided in unhardened plastic form, preferably laminated and fresh from the accumulator roll of Hatschek type apparatus.

This sheet 20 is placed on a filter bed and pressed by the die 2| having the surface 22 formed, for instance, with grooves and ridges corresponding to wood graining or other decorative formation.

When the die 2| is pressed against the plastic I sheet 20 the surface of the plastic sheet is forced may be colored as desired, gray, buff or otherwiseand after suflicient hardening the exposed ridges 23 of the sheet are masked at the high points by transfer to them of a water-proofing material, such for example as a wax or aluminum stearate. This material designated 24 adheres I to the crowns or :high points of the sheet which may be a shingle, panel or the like. The application of the water-proofing material may be made by roller or fiat surface as desired.

Immediately after the water-proofingtreatment the entire shingle or sheet is dipped into a chemical stain 25 (Fig. 5) which will react with the-exposed asbestos cement material which is not water-proof. For example, by dipping the shingle or sheet into a solution of ferrous sulphate a brown or reddish brown color results. Starting with a buff-colored asbestos cement material. the finished product (Fig. 6) will, after.

removal of the water-proof coating, as by rubbing or solution, show a buff color on the ridges 23 and'brown in the valleys 26 in accordance with the preselected texture.

I claim:

An article of manufacture comprising a rigid unitary slab or sheet of asbestos cement material having its surface formed with alternating desired color and the surfaces of the hollows.

hollows and ridges giving a predetermined texture to the surface. the surfaces of the ridges being of one asbestos cement composition of 

